Cosmic dust cloud leads to plenty of shooting stars
Shooting stars are meteors that burn up in the atmosphere. A particularly large number of them could be seen over the next few days, as two streams of shooting stars are expected: the Geminids and the Ursids. But will the weather cooperate?
Shooting star hunters and onlookers can once again expect a special spectacle in the evening sky over the next few days. "With theoretically up to 150 meteors per hour, the Geminids are considered the richest stream of the year," announced the Association of Stargazers. The peak of the meteor stream is expected in the evening sky at around 8 p.m. on December 14.
"In practice, depending on the brightness of the night sky, you will see 30 to 60 meteors, i.e. a shooting star every one to two minutes." The Ursids will arrive shortly before Christmas. Their greatest activity occurs in the night from December 22 to 23 around midnight.
Bright objects expected
If you want to see the richer stream of Geminids, you have to look to the east in the evening. According to stargazers, very bright objects will also be visible, weather permitting. The meteors appear to originate from the constellation of Gemini. The constellation is in the south during the night and in the northwest in the morning. "As soon as it gets dark, you can keep an eye out for them," said the stargazers. And even the Earth's satellite will not disturb the stargazing spectacle in the sky. There is a new moon the day before, so there will be no disturbing light.
"You'll need a lot of luck to catch a glimpse of the shooting stars this year," says wetter.de meteorologist Carlo Pfaff. "On Thursday night, there will probably only be gaps in the clouds in the north-east and in the Rhine-Main region, and on Friday night on the North Sea islands. Otherwise, Germany will be under a more or less thick cloud cover."
According to the stargazers, the reason for the shower of shooting stars during the Geminids is that a cosmic dust cloud is passing through the Earth. This probably originates from the minor planet Phaethon, which may have broken up and left debris in its orbit that is now burning up in the Earth's atmosphere.
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Despite the expected abundance of shooting stars during the Geminids and Ursids meteor showers, the weather may pose a challenge. education about these celestial events can help optimize viewing opportunities, even if the weather isn't ideal. For instance, knowing that the Geminids' brightest meteors will appear from the east in the evening can help viewers make the most of any clear moments in the weather.
Source: www.ntv.de
